Ale Sharpton's Summer Beer Picks

26 May 2015

By Ale Sharpton

Every summer, craft breweries nationwide strategically craft ales and lagers that are crisp, refreshing, and typically low in alcohol—tiptoeing around five percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and lower. They do this to get drinkers to consume responsibly with beers that will keep them from getting inebriated as quickly as more potent beers.

Regardless, there are some fantastic summer ales and lagers on tap, in bottles and in the increasingly popular cans that will appeal to everyone. These are a few of the Ale-approved summer beers on my list.

WaterkeeperSweetWater Brewing CompanyAtlanta, Georgia
6% ABV
Drinking a locally produced hefeweizen boasting notes of banana and clove at six percent for a good cause? Sold! Now canned, this tasty sipper donates proceeds to preserve natural waterways including the Chattahoochee River thanks to SweetWater’s Save Our Water campaign.

Thai WheatSecond Self Beer CompanyAtlanta, Georgia
5.1% ABV
Showing love to the local scene, Second Self’s Thai Wheat refreshes palates with a combo of ginger root, lemongrass and German hops—Saaz and Hallertau—to balance out the overall pleasant spiciness of this American wheat ale. It works!

Summer SolsticeAnderson Valley Brewing Company
Boonville, California
5% ABV
This beer is perfect for those folks who twist their face up and exclaim, “I don’t like beer!” The Solstice really reminds you of a tasty cream soda with a little punch of alcohol to warrant your ID.

Not Your Father’s Root BeerSmall Town BreweryWauconda Illinois
5.9% ABV
That’s right, you read it correctly. This is a root beer that truly justifies its name, but still gives A&W a run for their money in the flavor category. For every beer naysayer, make them a believer with this one. Just make sure you don’t mistakenly give the kids a bottle!

A Sneak Peek:Boulevard Brewing Company has a “radler” coming to town soon as well. Stylistically, it is a cross of a lager (traditionally) and lemonade standing around four percent ABV. Knowing their history, anything Boulevard does is gangster—err—phenomenal!

Ale Sharpton Photo by Hannibal Matthews

Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer event planner, show host (Cruisin’ For A Brewsin’ and gourmand. He is also co-founder of the creative agency AllWays Open. He proudly resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Follow him on Twitter @alesharpton and Instagram @realalesharpton.

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